Pilot-lighting device.



T. J. LITLE, JR.

- PILOT LIGHTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION men JAN. 26, ms.

Patented N 0v. 14, 1916.

m: NONR'S PETERS ca. PNOTO Lmm. wasmlvumm a c NIED S THOMAS J. LITLE, JR., OF WOODBURY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WELSBACI-I LIGHT COMPANY, OF GLOUCESTER CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PILOT-LIGHTING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 26, 1916. Serial No. 74,361.

To all to hom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. LrrLn, J12, a citizen of the United States, residing at Voodbury, in the county of Gloucester and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Pilot-Lighting Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a front view of one form of gas lamp with one form of my improved pilot light attached. Fig. 2 is a sectional View of the pilot-light on an enlarged scale, and Figs. 3 and l are sectional views on the lines III-III and IV-IV, respectively, of Fig. 1.

My invention relates to pilot-lights for gas burners and is designed to provide an improved pilot-lighting device which will effectually overcome the difficulties heretofore incident to such devices.

It has been common in connection with gas burners to provide a small constantlythe temperature to a point where the gas will not reignite. I have overcome these difficulties and produced a pilot lighting device which will not be extinguished by any ordinary drafts such as may occur 111 rooms or inclosures. In fact, I have found that wlth mydevice, a wind current of even sixteen miles an hour will not completely extinguish the pilot light so that it will not re-light on cessation of the windcurrent.

In carrying out my invention, I provide at the outlet or tip of the pilot tube, a loose irregular massof non-metallic fibrous material or filaments, preferably non-metallic in character, and of low heat radiating properties, and which also acts to mechanically keep off the wind currents. This mass of fibrous material acts in two ways to prevent drafts from extinguishing the flame so that it will not re-light. First, mechanically by the protection afforded to the flame which is partly Within the fibrous 'mass, and, secwhich has some catalytic action in causing the combustion of the gas and air. As a result of experimenting in this line, I find that ordinary incandescent mantle material is peculiarly adapted for this purpose when placed in a mass at the mouth of the pilot light tube or tip and, so far as I have found, the best proportion of light salts for such fabrics is about 99:} per cent. of thorium and about per cent. of cerium.

Pure thorium salts may be used, but fibers thus impregnated are not as eflicient as those with a small percentage of thorium added. I also find that there should be a relatively small percentage of cerium used as an increase in its percentage tends to increase the heat radiation and thus lower the tempera-v ture of the mass. It will be understood, however, that a large range of salts or mixtures may be used for impregnating the fabric within the scope of my invention.

The fibers impregnated with lighting salts are especially efficient in pilot lighting devices because they give a considerable catalytic action such as above described. It is well known that in the ordinary incandescent mantle lamp if the gas is turned off and then turned on again within a certain small period of time, there will be sufiicient catalytic action to re-light the gas; and I, therefore, prefer such a fabric for my new purpose on account of this property, as wellas its highly valuable property of low heat radiation. I also believe that there is a surface combustion action taking place in the mass of fibers similar, to some extent, to that in ordinary surface combustion burners where gas under pressure is burned in small interstices of a porous mass. While in the ordinary surface combustion method it is necessary to mix with the gas substantially the correct amount of air required for complete combustion therewith, and in accordance with my invention no air need be mixed with the pilot light gas, yet the very small amount of gas used and distributed among the mass of fibers is apparently able to obtain the around the active portions thereof so that air can be drawn in to combine with the gas within the mass. This is quite important since, if the mass were inclosed in a cup, the action would be greatly impaired.

I have shown and described a pilot-lighting device applied to a lamp known in the the usual hood having air inlets for the "Bunsen burner tube 5.

This Bunsen tube is vertically arranged and has connected to the upper endthereof a manifold 6, with a plurality of laterally and downwardly directed burner arms 7; the lower ends of these burner arms are supplied with tips 8 to which are connected mantles 9.

10 designates the pilot tube which, in the form shown leads raw gas up to the pilot tip 11, and 12 is acontrol valve therefor. The

pilot tip 11 is preferably removable and slips on the upper end of the pilot tube, and is-held by friction. In the form shown, a loose irregular mass of ordinary incandescent mantle-fabric 13 is tied around the pilot light tip by a heat resisting cord or wire 14. This may be done simply by winding a strip of the fabric material around the tip and then tying it in place.

In order to ignite themixture issuing from the several burner tips, I provide means forming an igniter flame or flames around the mixer tube and preferably at or adjacent to thelevel of the mouths of the burner tips. In the form shown, this igniter is formed by a surrounding sleeve or skirt 15, the lower part of which is of larger diameter than the external diameter of the mixing tube, forming an annular cavity which communicates with the mixer tube through holes 16. This skirt or ring will providean annular flame fed by the mixture and ignited by the pilot light, which will burn continuously during the operation'of the lamp. However, even this annular flame in some cases does not absolutely insure ignition of the mixture issuing or destroyed. To further insure such action, I provide the holes or jet openings 17 below the lower edge of the sleeve and preferabl-y registering with the burner tips. These jet openings are preferably the same in'number as the burner tips and placed adjacent to them so that the jets of flame projecting through these holes will insure ignition at each burner tip.

WVhen the device is in use, a small flame burns within the mass of fibrous materiall3' and may or may not appear beyond it. The

flame may be, and preferably is, very small, and in the use of my invention the amount of gas consumed by the pilot may be greatly reduced. If a draft occurs, the flame may be driven to the side of the fibrous mass opposite to that from which the draft comes, but the flame will actually remain, even under a considerable draft above that which would normally occur in any inclosed room. On cessation of the draft, the flame will at once distribute and rekindle again through the mass, -aided by the catalytic action, if the preferred material is employed.

' The advantages of my invention willbe apparent to those skilled in this art, since the great drawback and danger to pilotlight ignition is overcome. The consumption of gas by the pilot-light may be-considerably reduced, the danger of blowing out is avoided and a removable tip supplied with my invention may be sold for attachment to any pilot-light tube.

Many different materials maybe used for the fibrous mass and impregnation with the salts of rare earths may or may not be used, although I prefer to employ them. The pilot-light tube may be supplied with raw gas or with a mixture of gas and air and'may be either vertical, horizontal or inclined, with the pilot-light at the lower or upper the pilot tip or tube in many diflerent ways and other variations may be made without departing from my invention.

If the fibers or fabrics are impregnated with rare earths, the fabric maybe burned out in the use of the pilot-light or at the factory before it is sold.

I claim:

1. A pilot light tip having a fuel outlet, and a loose irregular mass of non-combustible fibrous material at said fuel outlet to enmesh the flame, said fibrous material being of low heat radiating qualities so that the temperature of the mass will be maintained above the kindling point of the gas, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a pilot light-tip, of a loose irregular mass of fibrous material composed at least in part of rareearths,'said mass being in substantially close contact with the open-end of the tip, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a pilot light tip, of a loose irregular mass of fibrous material composed at least in part of thorium compounds, said mass being in substantially close contact with the open end of the tip,

end. The fibrous mass may be secured to stantially close contact With the open end of the tip, substantially as described.

5. The combination With a gas burner of a pilot light arranged to burn constantly and ignite the burner, said pilot light having a loose irregular mass of non-combustible fibrous material which enmeshes the flame, said fibrous material being of sufficiently loW heat radiating properties so that the temperature of the mass Will be main- 10 tained above the kindling point of the gas, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

THOMAS J. LITLE, JR. WVitnesses J. H. JOHNSON, A. M. RITCHIE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

